It’s extra than simply an album recorded by two males on the prime of their recreation who’re separated by land and sea – though Tall Tales is that too. Made by fabled digital musician Mark Pritchard and Radiohead singer Thom Yorke, Rolling Stone described it as a “progtronic journey stuffed with freaky soundscapes and actually sturdy songwriting.”
But it surely goes deeper nonetheless. A 3rd collaborator, Perth-based artist Jonathan Zawada, turned Tall Tales into a movie stuffed with Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel-like imagery, including to an clever sense of dislocation, displacement and surrealism.
Songs about know-how with uncanny movies, equivalent to This Dialog Is Lacking Your Voice, trace at a looming dystopia that’s nearly upon us. Furthermore, massive cash – in line with the theme of coin-clipping that runs via the document, impressed by Benjamin Myers’ The Gallows Pole – have been produced by Warp Data. They’ve been hidden in secret areas, on the market to be discovered.
An actual-life treasure hunt will be interpreted as a strategy to make tangible a undertaking made largely in isolation with simply information, emails and video-calls facilitating its improvement. It’s additionally a thumb within the eye to AI – a priority that imbues Tall Tales with a way of tension.
Pritchard, initially from Somerset, is an ambient techno artist/producer who burst out of the 90s underground dance scene and made a reputation for himself underneath a variety of aliases together with Harmonic 313 and Troubleman, in addition to in duos International Communication and Africa Hitech.
He emigrated to Australia 20 years in the past, and his music has turn into broadly much less dance-orientated and extra hypnagogic since he reverted to creating the whole lot underneath his personal title.
You had been commissioned to remix Radiohead’s Bloom in 2011, and also you met Thom Yorke the next 12 months. How did all that come about?
it was Clive Deamer, the drummer for Portishead who’s labored with Roni Dimension and numerous different artists. He advised me, “I is perhaps coming to Australia –however I can’t let you know what it’s but.”
He was enjoying as Radiohead’s second drummer. I assume with Radiohead the whole lot must be stored very secret, as a result of followers are trying onerous for any bits of knowledge. Then Clive stated, “Thom wish to meet you.”
They got here to one among my gigs with Steve Spacek [of Africa Hitech], then they performed two reveals right here and I acquired to hang around with them a bit. At dinner, I requested Thom whether or not he’d be up for doing one thing in some unspecified time in the future, and he stated: “Yeah, cool – ship me some stuff!”
You first collaborated on Stunning Individuals out of your solo album Beneath The Solar in 2016. Work on Tall Tales didn’t get going till 2020. How did work pan out between Sydney Oxford?
I didn’t know Thom that effectively; I’d solely met him as soon as, then there have been a lot of emails. There’s all the time going to be some distinction of opinion in a undertaking; I assume I’ve labored with sufficient individuals and he’s labored with sufficient individuals to know tips on how to cope with that scenario.
He wasn’t snug when he acquired very well-known. Individuals lose it after which must disappear
It turned simpler after we had a Zoom name. He’s straight-up and I’m straight-up; I assume we trusted one another right away. If it will get a bit tense, you’ll be able to sit back with a joke and a few self-effacing feedback – Thom’s actually good at that.
Some individuals is perhaps stunned to listen to that. His public persona is sort of intense, wouldn’t you say?
If you happen to’ve listened to his music and seen his imagery, you could possibly come to the conclusion that he’s a really severe character. However most of our emails are in a West Nation dialect: “Wasson there, bey?” “Alroight, moi luvver?” He’s acquired a home in Cornwall and he’s spent a number of time within the West Nation. We’re primarily having amusing after we’re discussing issues. It’s very simple going.
I can see why individuals assume he’s intense. There have been interviews the place he wasn’t snug throughout that interval when he acquired very well-known. Individuals lose it after which they must disappear; so he disappeared to Cornwall and painted for a 12 months to get himself again to a state the place he wished to work once more.
One other shock is Yorke’s baritone on tracks like The Males Who Dance In Stag’s Heads.
I employed a studio off Martin Barre from Jethro Tull as soon as. I checked out all of their albums. Very time-changey!
Yeah, I used to be actually stunned too! I’ve heard him sing low, however not for a complete track. He stated he’d all the time wished to do it however had by no means actually discovered a manner. He used a form of varispeeding that helped him get into character, and I feel it allowed him to really feel extra assured. There was different manipulation of his voice via modular methods and numerous pedals.
He was looking for tonally how to slot in as effectively, having enjoyable along with his voice and doing various things. There’s a Black Sabbath track known as Planet Caravan – a really peaceable, mellow, psychedelic track – and I’ve all the time wished to place stuff via an actual Leslie speaker, like they did. I’d been ready for the fitting track, so we tried to see if we may do one thing like that.
You clearly love basic rock. Are you a prog fan too?
I used to be into King Crimson fairly early on. I’m undecided how I got here throughout them nevertheless it was the early 90s once I was digging for samples. Then I found Light Big, who I actually like! There was a interval the place I used to be listening to them greater than the rest. I went via their catalogue and found these unimaginable albums.
I employed a studio off Martin Barre from Jethro Tull as soon as. I checked out all of their albums too. Very time-changey music! I’ve continued to dip into a lot of totally different types – I’ll try some prog, then some folks, then I’ll flip via music from Peru, Egypt and so forth. That’s what I’ve all the time carried out.